Please visit the California Revealed website to see the most complete and up-to-date version of this object: https://repository.californiarevealed.org/node/340867.

Lucy Shinn's letter to her daughter, Milicent: the importations from Japan, Annie, illnesses, Chinese New Year.

Dear Millie Feb. ? 1877 I did not like it all to leave you out last week, but you know what Mrs. Whitney says in Leslie Goldthwaite, [A Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite's Life by Adeline Whitney] "Some thing is sure to be [left?] out" and in this case it seemed unavoidable that it should be your letter. I suppose Annie told you about Aunt Jennie's coming up and how busy I was while she was here. I don't believe she half told you about the plants from Japan. Mr. and Mrs. Sill would be very much interested in them. There are seedless oranges and seedless persimmons, magnolias white, red, red & white, etc. A large and beautiful variety of Japan evergreens, a large variety of the red tea plants, a variety that is grown mainly for ornament, and is very handsome. A large variety of bamboo from dwarf species only a few inches high with leaves striped yellow and green, to the species that grows 15 or 20 feet high. Some of the magnolias had opened flowers in the packages and some now have buds they are very handsome. So you got locked in did you; well I am very thankful you got out, but don't run any risk of its happening again. I guess if just as you were making your way round to get out, some of the students had appeared you would not have enjoyed it so much. Did Annie write you that Miss Tichenor was very sick if indeed she is alive now. She was taken with paralysis and the doctors say that even should she recover (which they thought impossible) that her mind will be gone. Mr. T. is very much afflicted. It is I think the last of his family. Cousin Lue has a great load of care and anxiety. I fear she will be worn out herself. This is China New Year and Sam is off for several days, and the other Chinamen are out working. I told them I was going to have the China New Year put in the summer when we were not so busy, which they seemed to think a great joke. Sam and Ah Ly [?] loaded us down with sweetmeats in such quantities as were rather appalling when neither you nor Joe were here. I have been distributing to the Minister's children, Charlie Keeler [?], etc. Papa is waiting for me to go to bed, and it seems like a sin to keep him up these days, so Good Night, Mama [Transcribed by Kathryn Kasch]

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews